A space for my political rantings and geeky fumblings. If you are offended, I don't care. Complain all you wish. The general point is a chance for my expression, and an explanation of the tropical storm of thoughts within my mind. Quick summation: I am a Constitutional Conservative, Second amendment loving Browncoat/Treky/Gamer/Puddlejumper.

Friday, June 7, 2013

I support Universal Background Checks!

Following the shooting at Sandy Hook, there was an
understandably emotional, yet poorly reasoned, outcry for something to be done.
President Obama put out a bold list of goals, matched with a hollow collection
of executive orders telling components of the Executive Branch to do their
jobs. In the legislature, the possibility of a renewed, stronger, Assault
weapons Ban was dead on arrival, and every other ‘important’ measure the
President called for fell flat on its face. Despite heavy doses of demagoguery
from each side of the issue, the amendment moving to institute Universal
Background Checks, heralded as a bipartisan compromise, failed. Represented simultaneously
as a common sense measure and an effort to raise the cost of firearm ownership,
it was burdened by the agitation of American Gun owners, derided by the anti-gun
movement for not doing enough, and the target of massive dollars from both
sides. Painted as an opportunistic attack on are freedoms, and defended as a
long overdue correction to our countries loop holes.

Separately, the concept of requiring identification and
proof of citizenship to vote, to the point of better defending the rights of
citizens, is labeled as a sideways effort to disenfranchise the poor, elderly,
and minorities. Multiple localities throughout the country have passed laws
requiring identification, and are working to improve the requirements to get the
identification, while the opposition cries it is a poll tax and will deny
others the ability to exercise their rights, moving to challenge the laws in
courts. The U.S. Department of Justice takes aggressive steps against locals
that try to instill voter id laws, leaping to claims of racial discrimination.

So, the liberal side wants Universal Background checks for
firearm ownership, which conservatives object to. Meanwhile, conservatives want
a requirement to present proof of citizenship and identification to vote, which
liberals object to. Having considered the costs and benefits of each ideal,
weighed against constitutional limitations, I believe that there is a move that
can gain approval from each side.

The legislature should revisit the Universal Background
check legislation, and expand it. Let us make it truly Universal. Rather than
just limiting it to the sale or transfer of firearms, make it a step in the
application for government issued identification. Everyone would be required to
undergo the background investigation as a matter of course, and could use the
ID provided to then go forth and exercise the Constitutionally protected rights
to vote or keep and bear arms. Rather than violating the 14th
amendment to unfairly target one segment of the population, those that exercise
the 2nd amendment, this law would apply to all parties. Also, there
would be no exemptions for Law Enforcement Officers, Politicians, or any other
connected party.

Much like the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Care Act,
by requiring that each and every individual of voting/gun purchasing age
underwent a background check, the costs for the bureaucratic infrastructure
could be spread over the entire population, i.e. those who chose not to
exercise their rights to vote or own firearms would subsidize the process for
those that do. Overall, this would mostly be an amplification of the process
citizens go through in applying for a Driver’s License at the DMV. Currently,
most jurisdictions require: proof of citizenship, address in the issuing local,
and proof of who you are. Following passage of the Drunk Cynic Universal
Background Check, your criminal and mental history would also be taken into
consideration, much like sections 11 and 12 of DD form 4473, that anyone who
purchases a firearm from a Federal Firearm Licensee must fill out.

Tailing disclaimer:
For any actively interested parties, the reason beyond the long delay between
posts is that I just completed a massive move, and I didn't want to bother with
the stress of diving political topics.